WARTON, UK—BAE Systems will open a new assembly plant at its manufacturing complex here that will apply cobots, virtual and augmented reality, and other advanced technologies to the assembly of military aircraft.
BETHESDA, MD—Lockheed Martin Corp. is implementing augmented reality on its factory floor and working with software developer Scope AR to develop how-to manuals that include animations for assembling spacecraft components.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are cutting-edge tools that are becoming increasingly important to engineers for applications ranging from product design to assembly line layout.
Traditionally, it's not unusual to see people wear goggles and other types of safety glasses in factories. But, a new class of wearable devices is becoming increasingly popular on assembly lines.
Wire harness assembly doesn't get more complex or safety-critical than in the aerospace industry. A typical harness might contain thousands of wires and hundreds of connectors
In my first job after I received my engineering degree, I was designing hardware and writing software for embedded products for industrial applications. I had a simulator for the microcontroller.
Most R&D activity in the auto industry these days is focusing on electric power trains and autonomous vehicles. But, efficiently assembling those products tomorrow will depend on harnessing state-of-the-art production tools and processes today.